ROYERSFORD ­— More often than not, Spring-Ford has been huffing and puffing and blowing down opponents by halftime (if not before) this season.

But despite outscoring the opposition by an average of 16-plus points in the first and second quarters, two of which led to identical 21-point wins over Methacton, nothing was anywhere near that easy during Wednesday night’s Pioneer Athletic Conference championship affair ... against none other than Methacton.

The feisty Warriors’ defense denied the Rams any notable stretch of consistency on offense, pressuring the hosts into a horrid 8-for-22 effort from the floor and seven turnovers. If that wasn’t enough to frustrate the defending champions, scoring the final eight points of the half to get within 19-15 at the break sure was.

And did Spring-Ford ever respond with one of its signature runs ... on offense and defense.

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The Rams offense put up 34 points, their defense limited Methacton to just eight and, in the end, they owned a 53-23 blowout for their 30th straight PAC-10 win and second consecutive title.

“We just started to play Spring-Ford basketball,” said 5-foot-11 senior Sarah Payonk, the lone player of the game in double figures (14 points) who also poulled down 11 rebounds, blocked three shots and came up with six steals. “We just brought up our intensity, and everything comes a little easier for us when we do that. It helps us get into our game.”

And the opposition out of theirs.

“(Spring-Ford) turned up the pressure and we started to panic,” said Methacton head coach Craig Kaminski. “We got frustrated.

“That’s all a tribute to (Spring-Ford’s) defense. One of their goals is to play great defense. They know defense wins championships, and that showed tonight. We just lost to a great team.”

The Rams, now 22-2 overall, didn’t take long to turn the four-point thriller into a runaway, either.

In the third quarter, Payonk drove for two and hit a short jumper before Sammy Stipa (seven points, three assists, four steals) took over and set the tone for the remainder of the game. Sarah Sherman did swish a 3-pointer with 3:35 left in the period - which was Methacton’s last points from the field - but the Rams came right back with 12 unanswered points. Stipa energized the spurt with three baskets, including a scintilating drive, two assists and two steals, and the Warriors (20-5) were reeling.

The 35-19 spread expanded to 41-19 with 6:12 left, or before the Warriors were able to add to their total on a pair of Jenna Carroll foul shots.

“We just realized defense sets the tempo, not offense,” Stipa said of the halftime adjustments. “We knew we were down, but in the second half we just came out stronger. In the first half we were missing shots, getting down on ourselves, playing too much as individuals. We were just forcing things.”

“We just had to pick up the tempo,” Payonk added.

“We were getting ourselves into positions we didn’t like,” head coach Jeff Rinehimer explained of the out-of-sync first half. “We let Methacton get back into it. But then we started to do the little things in the second half. We got back into our game.”

And no one was aware of that more than Kaminski, who watched senior standout Kelsey Watson - the PAC-10’s leading scorer - get harrassed into a 1-for-9 night and season-low two points. And no one else could see their way around, through or over the Rams’ pressure defense. Jenna Carroll and Sarah Sherman were the Warriors’ best bets on offense with six points apiece, and one-fourth of those combined points came from the foul line.

“We just couldn’t find a way to get into the offensive sets we wanted,” Kaminski said, whose team converted just five of 43 shots from the field. “That’s a credit to Spring-Ford.”

A credit to a defense that also led to many if not all of the Rams’ 34 second-half points ... and the lopsided win.

“Yeah, we were waiting for (one of the runs),” Rinehimer admitted. “But who knows? Maybe tonight we wouldn’t get out of it and into one.”

Maybe for a half, but not for a game.

“This was a great win for us,” Payonk said. “Now we’re looking forward to the rest of our season.”

NOTES

The PAC-10 title was Spring-Ford’s fifth overall. ... The Rams didn’t light it up offensively, hitting just 20 of 66 (30 percent) from the field but swished 11 of 13 foul shots. ... Shelby Mueller, slowed somewhat by foul troubles, added seven points and four boards, and Courtney Hinant came off the bench to add seven points and three rebounds. ... Spring-Ford forced Methacton into 21 second-half turnovers and 33 overall. ... The Rams, seeded first in the District 1-AAAA playoffs, open Saturday (1:30 p.m.) against visiting No. 32 seed William Tennent. No. 5 seeded Methacton opens up district play Saturday afternoon (1:30 p.m.) against visitiing Council Rock North.

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